Monday, September 07, 2009

Alan Duncan Sacked, Demoted, Whatever

It's 10 to 1 here and I was just about to switch off the computer and go to bed and what do I suddenly get told by a reader? Alan Duncan has been demoted to Shadow Prisons Minister. I'd like to offer some pithy insight, but I am afraid it baffles me. According to the BBC...

"Alan Duncan, the senior Conservative secretly filmed complaining that MPs were expected to live on "rations", has been demoted from the shadow cabinet. He goes from being shadow leader of the Commons to shadow prisons minister. Mr Duncan, who was responsible for the Tories' position on MPs' expenses, is said to accept he is now a "lightning conductor" for anger over the issue. The Rutland and Melton MP agreed to leave the shadow cabinet after a meeting with Tory leader David Cameron. A replacement is to be announced on Tuesday."

I can't say it comes as a huge surprise, but knowing Alan, he will be gutted. He is a proud man. What I don't understand is why he has stayed in a junior position, important thought the prisons job is. Wouldn't it have been better to go completely and rebuild? And what does this mean for Edward Garnier, who has done a great job handling prisons over the last few years? He's an unsung hero of the junior spokesmen. UPDATE: He has been appointed Shadow Attorney General - long overdue IMHO.

A further question is whether this signals a wider Conservative frontbench reshuffle. Being 2,500 miles away means that I am not in a position to shed much light on that I'm afraid. I shall watch from afar with interest. But if there is to be one new face around the Shadow Cabinet table, who should it be?

One thing worth noting is that yet again David Cameron has displayed the same streak of ruthlessness we have seen before. Others should take note.

UPDATE: Alan Duncan has issued this statement...

"This is a sensible decision. You have to be realistic about how difficult the expenses issue has been.What matters most is the winning the election and David Cameron becoming the prime minister. I don't want to be a brake on that by making a difficult issue more problematic. I am very happy to get stuck into another job."

Er...and this is a demotion how? Is it not possible that Cameron moved Duncan to prisons because he knew that he's a decent opposition spokesman who would be thoughtful and articulate on a serious issue?

The BBC are reporting it's a demotion. Do what I did: call the Brown Broadcasting Corporation's complaints line on 03700 100 222. They are a disgrace.

It may not be bad news for Edward Garnier. In government, Dominic Grieve couldn't seriously be Attorney as well as Justice Secretary - it's probably not obvious to non-legal politicos but the Attorney's job is an important and specialist one and s/he sometimes resolves disputes between departments - I don't think it can be done part-time these days, and ministers in departments like the Home Office which often have disagreements with MoJ will surely not be happy to have the Attorney embedded in MoJ.

In which case, someone has to be moved to be Attorney. I can't think of any other obvious candidates, and if you're the kind of political lawyer who's keen to retain your interest in law rather than to escape it - and Garnier seems to fall into that category - then Attorney General is a dream job.

It's a a bad day for democracy. He is one of those politicians who does not spend too much time worrying what other people think. He does not spend a lot of time thinking about what he is going to say - and some one who does is most certainly a fraud and a liar.

Alan Duncan is someone who spoke out of turn. What a terrible indictment of our system that this means he had to go.

I don't know how brave he was to come out as gay at the Conservative conference, but I expect it did him no favours in some quarters. But he did it and I guess he did it because he wanted to be honest.

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Iain, The Coffee House Blog pointed out that if he had stayed in his current position, he would have had to give the speech on expenses at Conference.Wise move for both him and Cameron methinks, and at a time when the media have lots of other stories to cover instead.

UKIP has announced another high profile resignation tonight, its treasurer is stepping down from the job.

Taken at face value, Duncan's acceptance of his demotion gives hope that he has more substance than his repeated egotistical eccenticities have suggested.

No doubt he believes, as is likely to be true, that if he proves his reliability he will soon be rehabilitated.

But let him be in no doubt that the last thing the Conservatives need is some over-dressed, rich as Croesus, Tory-boy parody addressing recession voters as to how such brilliant figures as himself will give up serving the country for piss-poor wages. The natural reaction of too many will be to save him and other candidates of his party the trouble of doing so.

You obviously live in a parallel universe. The hoons work shorter hours and produce even less legislation as the bulk of which you seem to be unaware/overlook come from Brussels scribed and put into law by people we did not vote into office.

Alan Duncan was one of the MPs who was receiving a substantial second home allowance while simultaneously renting out another property. He had a history of spivery with the exploitation of the Right to Buy in the 1980s.

He should have been told to stand down as an MP by Cameron not demoted to lesser ministerial position. He is a disgrace.

- I would pay them even more to produce even less legislation. Not the best way of measuring their productivity!

True Belle

- at the risk of being flamed, try getting up at 4.30 most mornings to catch a flight to God-knows-where to advise a client on their strategy. If bonuses were called "commission" then people would be happier - the only reason why they aren't commission is to try and encourage people to work together